Can You Substitute Freezer Paper for Wax Paper?

Wax paper is sometimes used for lining cake pans.

Wax paper is a semi-transparent paper that has been treated with paraffin wax to make it waterproof and non-stick. Freezer paper is white or brown paper that has been coated in plastic on one side to make it resistant to air and moisture.

Wax Paper

Wax paper is used for a number of kitchen applications, including baking and food preservation. Because it is non-stick, it is used to line cake pans to keep batter from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Freezer Paper

Freezer paper is useful for wrapping frozen foods because its plastic-coated side helps protect foods from freezer burn, while its paper side allows foods to be easily labeled. Additionally, freezer paper is sometimes used in crafts, from quilting to decorating T-shirts.

Substitutions

You can substitute freezer paper for wax paper when wrapping foods. However, it should never be used instead of wax paper when lining cake pans, because its plastic side will melt in the oven and contaminate your cake.

Warning

In addition to never putting freezer paper in the oven, you should never put exposed wax paper in the oven, or it might burn. Make sure that batter completely covers the wax paper before baking.

History

According to the website Cook's Thesaurus, wax paper was invented by Thomas Edison.

References

• Cook's Thesaurus: Food Wrappers
• Epicurious.com: Food Dictionary: Wax Paper
• Practically Edible: Freezer Paper

Resources

• Foodreference.com: Freezing Foods and Frozen Food
• Reynolds: Reynolds Freezer Paper: General Information
• Quiltbug.com: Great Uses for Freezer Paper